Air flow governing means



Jan. 19, 1932.

A. S. MULLGARDT- AIR FLOW GOVERNING MEANS Filed March 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ALEXANDER 5. MULLfi/IRDT j ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1932.

A. S. MULLGARDT AIR FLOW GOVERNING MEANS Filed March 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALEXANDER SJVULLGAADT ATroRNY Patented 311. 19, 1932 7 "ennxammn s. uunneann'r, or sm'rrnn, wnsmo romnssrexon are some rum comm, or enema, *iusnmemon Lin. new oovnmzme was I Application filed larch 1a, 1980. Serial No. mate.

7 This. invention relates to improvements in aircraft engines and more especially to a means for 'governing'the flow of air around and over the cylinders of an engine of the radial air-cooled type.

The principal object of the invention is to regulate the flow of air past the cylinders so that the, burbling or turbulency thereof is greatly reduced if not eliminated, thus causing a smooth flow of air around the body of the airplane and thereby reducing its head resistance to a minimum.

Another object of the invention isthe provisionof a means of this character which may be readily adapted to various sizes ofengines and adjusted to various angles of incidence with respect to the airplane body.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, pointed'out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of an airplane engine with my improved form of air flow governmgmeans operatively installed thereon.

Figure 2 ing theair section. A

- Figure. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of Figure 3. Referring now more particularly to the drawings:

flow governing means partly in Reference numeral 1 indicated the forward parts, indicated at 3 and 4.

A pair of supporting rings 5 and 6 embrace the engine and are supported by any suitable means, such, for instance, as the downwardly extended arms 6a, which are securely mounted to the crank case of the ne.

and finally such for instance as is a fragmentary-sideelevation of an a rplane body with engine attached, show:

erly

Each of the rods is provided with a streamrods to a minimum.

a plurality of ribs 9. The ribs are mounted to the ringsby suitable clamps, generally indicated at 10, which are made up of upper and lower portions adapted to be drawn together'by means of bolts 11. The ribs, as shown in Figure 3, are of airfoil shape and are entirely embraced by a metallic covering or skin 12. a The skin thus applied to and entirely surrounding the ribs, forms a complete rin of airfoil section around the engine.

' he inner periphery of the ring thus formed is apertured as at13 to accommodate the extended ortions of the radially disposed cylinder hea s of the engine. 6

At equally spaced points around the inner peri hery of the ring, the skin 12 is secured tot e rings 5 and 6 by any suitable means, the bolts 1d and nuts 15.

The skin 12 may be secured to the ribs in any The rings 5 and 6 sup-' port, in equally spaced relationto each other,

approved manner such for instance as by riv Y eting, bolting or the like.

It will be noted in Figure 1 that the ring is made up of a number of sections and that all of the sections tightly abut each other and are held to ether'by means offastening devices 16, w ich are now common in the art.

In Figure 2 it will be noted that the ribbed rig? is in an angular relation to the airplane b This, of course, is knownas the an le of incidence and may be readily varied y merely replacing the rings 5 and 6 with other rings of greater or lesser diameter.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, 1 am' aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the clalms. Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1; An aircraft and engine therefor, a means encircling said engine for directing propthe air flow about the cylinders of said engine both the length of the aircraft, said encircling means having in cross sectiona profile curviradially and in the direction. of

linear in shape, said rofile being positioned in a predetermined re ation to the contour of the aircraft body, individual streamlinin means arranged forward of each cylinder an adapted to part1 embrace it.

2. An alrcra t and engine therefor, a

means-encircling said englne for directin properly the air flow about the cylinders- 0 said engine both radially and in the direction of thelength of the aircraft, said encircling means having in cross section a profile curvilinear in shape, said rofile being positioned in a predetermined re ation to the contour of the aircraft body, individual streamlining means for each of said cylinders, said streamlmmg means encircling each of said cylinders and extending forwardly and rearward- 1y thereof.

Si ed at San Francisco, California, this 5th ay of August, 1931.

ALEXANDER S. ii I 1 ARDT; 

